Hungarian Conservative

‘Family policy will remain of utmost importance to us, as part of our overarching priority of demography during our presidency. It is clear that all of our societies are being reshaped by the challenges of demographic change. The Hungarian Presidency intends to examine demography from the perspective of competitiveness in a holistic way by including it in the agenda of almost all council formations,’ State Secretary responsible for families at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation Ágnes Hornung told Hungarian Conservative in a recent interview.

According to the applications for the CSOK Plus submitted in the first two months of the year, two-thirds of the couples requesting the loan are childless. This shows that couples have been encouraged to dare to start a family.

The family policy of the Hungarian government, among other things, supports the country’s youth through family benefits that can be availed during their higher education, as well as income tax exemption for individuals under 25 and mothers under 30.

After the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, all large Russian opposition media outlets were forced to leave the country. Notwithstanding their dire situation, some of them could nonetheless retain a significant chunk of their former readership, which equals millions. Regrettably, judging by how they portray Hungary, responsible journalism is not their strength.

CSOK Plus is an extremely favourable, state-supported loan for families planning to have children or for those who are wish to have more children. It can be used for the purchase of a first common home, or the expansion or the purchase of a larger common home. It is available in amounts of 15, 30, or even 50 million forints with a fixed 3 per cent interest rate.

High interest rates have taken a toll on the Hungarian housing market, as they have in virtually every country. The expanded CSOK programme by the Orbán administration can do a lot to revitalize the market, all the while incentivizing child bearing in the country.

In the framework of the new CSOK Plus scheme, the state provides a loan of 15 million forints (EUR 38,960) for couples raising one child, 30 million for families with two children and 50 million for those with three or more children, at a 3 per cent interest rate, Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák announced.